DOVER — With New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) confirming another flu-related death, the toll now stands at 14 for this flu season. Thirteen of the 14 deaths were in December, and the other occurred this month.

“It's a relatively high month, although that's not unheard of,” DHHS Bureau Chief of Infectious Disease Christine Adamski said. “The number of influenza-related deaths each year varies. In the calendar year, there were nine deaths for 1997 versus a high of 35 in 1998.”

Adamski said none of the state's flu victims were juveniles, but Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Sheila Pinette in December reported the death of a young child from the flu. She said there have been a few more deaths since then, but could not cite an exact figure.

Pinette said that in the past week Maine has seen an additional 27 outbreaks — where the flu virus crops up in a small, confined area such as a long-term care facility. There have been a total of 57 documented outbreaks throughout Maine already this flu season compared with 10 during the 2011-2012 season. Pinette said two of the outbreaks occurred at a university and a day care facility but declined to identify either.

With Boston proclaiming a state of emergency for its flu outbreak this week, with 700 confirmed flu cases compared to 70 last year there, Seacoast hospitals in New Hampshire reported an uptick in cases as well. New Hampshire has been reported to be one of 43 states in the country with the disease reaching a “widespread” level, according to the national CDC website.

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital's Vice President of Community Relations Noreen Biehl said the hospital is seeing on average 70 to 100 patients every day coming in complaining of respiratory illness and flu-like symptoms, though not all those cases are confirmed to be from influenza.

“It's certainly a lot more that we had last year but in 2009, with (the national H1N1 influenza outbreak), they're similar numbers and we'll see how it continues,” Biehl said. “It's definitely more than the last couple of years.”

Biehl said for now the Dover-based hospital is coping with the high demand.

“We're managing to take care of patients appropriately and we're don't have any specific shortages right now but we'll see how this continues,” she said, noting 90 percent of her staff is vaccinated against the flu. The other 10 percent is instructed to wear masks at all times to limit the spreading of the illness.

In Rochester, Frisbie Memorial Hospital's Michelle Landry, of marketing and communications, reported the emergency department has seen an “influx” of reported influenza cases in Rochester. Landry said the hospital has been incredibly busy with the increase in cases, far more than last year, and one nurse said in testing dozens of patients recently told her she only found two people who didn't test positive for the flu.

Mariann Murphy, marketing manager of Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro, said the emergency department there also reported a dramatic hike in influenza cases though she could not point to specific numbers. Last weekend, Murphy reported the hospital was also seeing more cases of the norovirus and pneumonia. York Hospital in Maine also reported a rise in patients testing positive, but deferred all comment to the state department.

Adamski stressed that although it is believed that this time of year is the peak of the flu season, it is never too late to get a flu vaccine.

“We have ample supply (in New Hampshire). It's readily available. It takes a couple of weeks to build protection but it's not too late to get vaccinated,” she said. “We don't know that this is the peak. We don't know what circulating strains will go away so the vaccine is really one of the best protections you can have to prevent illness. It may be that you still get it but it may be milder and a shorter course.”

Adamski noted the Granite State is considered a “universal state” where free vaccines are available for children under the age 18. The flu vaccine is generally recommended for anyone over the age of 6 months.

Dr. Pinette noted if a patient has already contracted one of the three prominent strains — H1N1, commonly referred to as “swine flu,” Influenza A or Influenza B — they can protect themselves from contracting the other two by getting immunized. She said flu season lasts typically through April and the vaccine will also minimize a patient's reaction and symptoms if they end up catching influenza.

“The most common flu and influenzas are covered in the vaccine and that is a primary way to contain this,” she said. “It is a personal and social responsibility for us to make sure we get immunized. All of the strains we are identifying in the laboratory are the most common in the vaccine.”

Those with the flu are urged to stay home from work or school and to isolate themselves, to practice good “respiratory etiquette,” covering their mouths and disposing of used tissues, and to practice thorough hand washing techniques. Adamski said a good rule of thumb is to sing the Happy Birthday song twice through while washing under warm water with soap to ensure a 20- to 30-second clean.